Michelle Ulrich

Reflections of Your

Citrus Heights, CA

www.reflectionsofyou.us

Michelle Ulrich doesn’t have to endure rush hour traffic anymore.  Her commute consists of taking the short trek her from her kitchen to her home office, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ulrich, a resident of Citrus Heights, CA was tired of working for corporate America so in May of 2003 she applied for a business license and hit the ground running.  Reflections of You is her growing home business where she works as a Virtual Assistant (VA).

Virtual Assistance is a relatively new industry that has opened entrepreneurial doors for men and women with office skills who want the freedom to work independently from home.  The International Virtual Assistants Association describes the role of a VA as “An independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services.”

Ulrich says that educating people on what a Virtual Assistant does is one of the biggest challenges in the industry.  “A VA is not a PDA or other electronic device,” says Ulrich with a chuckle.  She occasionally calls herself a Business Support Specialist since many people are not yet familiar with industry terminology. 

Reflections of You offers a plethora of services such as development and implementation of marketing campaigns, website and newsletter design, and database management.  For example, clients who collect business cards each month can send them to Michelle and she will input the data into a contact management database.  She can also help a client develop a marketing strategy for an entire year. 

Ulrich calls herself a “solopreneur” and bills her services either hourly, on retainer or on a per-project basis.  Communication with clients is primarily conducted utilizing email, phone and fax technologies.  She relies heavily on her computer and software programs to accomplish tasks such as designing brochures and flyers for clients.

Recently, Ulrich became a certified Real Estate Support Specialist and says that Realtors frequently utilize the services of VA’s.   She is also an active member of the eWomen’s Network and International Virtual Assistant’s Association and was recently nominated to sit on IVAA’s Board of Directors.

The VA lifestyle allows Ulrich a flexible schedule, although she is typically in her office from 9 to 5 each day and occasionally works after hours on projects.  She has two daughters, 10 and 12, and her career allows them to spend time at home instead of in daycare. 

She initially found that she missed the camaraderie of working in an office; however her daily interaction with clients has helped her adjust to working from home.  She likes to play her stereo loudly and keeps her cat close by for company.  Mostly Ulrich enjoys being her own boss and having the freedom to pick and choose her work projects. 

Ulrich says the keys to her success are her, “Ambition, persistence and just putting myself out there.”  She spends much of her time networking, conducting speaking engagements and coordinating events with professional organizations.

Reflections of You is has already expanded to include sub-contractors and Ulrich plans to continue her efforts to educate the public about the Virtual Assistance field.  Those interested in learning more about the field can visit www.ivaa.org or Ulrich’s website, www.reflectionsofyou.us.

***This article is an excerpt from "The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide by Stephanie Chandler

About the Author:

Stephanie Chandler is a small business expert and the author of “FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO INFOPRENEUR: MAKE M0NEY WITH BOOKS, EBOOKS AND INFORMATION PRODUCTS” (Wiley, Dec. 2006) and “THE BUSINESS STARTUP CHECKLIST AND PLANNING GUIDE” (Aventine). Visit her website at http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com to access hundreds of resources for entrepreneurs.

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